Matusz on his mechanics

Orioles starter Brian Matusz went 3 1/3 innings of three-run baseball, two of which were earned. He allowed four hits and two walks and struck out two and while he wasn’t thrilled with the results he has been working closely with pitching coach Mark Connor on some mechanical issues and was excited for that to continue.

Here’s what he had to say after Sunday’s start, which was his third outing this spring.

[on his outing]“The results, [I’m] not happy about the results. But I’m really happy about the process. I feel like I’m making some adjustments that I need to , and I’m excited to sit down with [Connor], look at the video for this game, kind of see where I need to be mechanically-wise. I feel like I wasn’t fully in my groove the whole time. And that’s OK. But I’m excited for this work week though.”

[on not going his scheduled four because of a 33-pitch first]“[My] stamina didn’t feel like a problem. Little bit of a longer first inning than I wanted…but I was happy to be able to go out to the mound four times. So I was happy to be able to do that. But stamina’s fine. I was working on things today, just trying to get in that rhythm.”

[on what kind of adjustments he’s making] “I’ve been working with [Connor] on when my knee comes up, just trying to break my hands at the same time, to keep it in rhythm. It felt like my arm was dragging a little bit today at times, and it has in the past. It takes all the sharpness away from your pitches so that’s the thing I’ve been working on. It’s one thing to know what you are doing right, it’s another thing about feeling it. You want to be able to feel it so when you go to the mound you don’t have to think about it at all.

For me I’m just trying to get into that feel, that groove on the mound. Which is ok. It’s just spring, just working on stuff. Which is just fine. but I feel like I’m on track to get myself for the season where I don’t have to think about things, it’s just natural. It’s a process. it’s good though.”

[how’d that work?] “I approached [Connor] and we were talking, I said, ‘Things just don’t feel right. I don’t feel like I’m in rhythm.’ We sat down and talked about some things before my last bullpen, before this outing, felt perfect. It was one of the best bullpen sides I’ve thrown. And just working on that, working with [Connor] to get in that rhythm. Like I said, today I was just thinking about it a little too much.”

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